Chapter Five

Lisa traced lazy patterns against Luke’s hand while they waited. Some would call it ludicrous to negotiate land and resources with animals, but in the absence of people, the creatures of a planet had as much claim to it as anyone else. Most humans never bothered to see animals as anything beyond instinct and noise. Luke had learned otherwise five years ago with the scurriers on Tatooine.

He was deep enough in the Force to sense the approaching group a second before she did, but her hearing caught the rustling underbrush first.

They had to be about ten feet tall – slightly taller than the mud yaks she’d met previously. Their bodies were barrel-shaped, their heads short, and their fur reddish-brown on the top that faded to more yellowish-brown near the belly. They had no visible tails; their feet were slightly webbed with three toes on their rear set and four on the front.

Luke and Lisa stood and waited as the blunt muzzles came close to them. The creatures inhaled, sniffing the couple, assessing them.

For such large creatures, the chirping and clicking sounds they made were surprisingly high pitched.

“Winged One,” said the creature closest to the couple. “Welcome. My name is Reed, Elder of the Riverbacks.”

“My name is Lisa,” she answered. “This is my partner, Luke. Thank you for meeting us, Elder Reed.”

Luke bowed when the blunt muzzle turned towards him. “Elder Reed,” he said respectfully, “it’s an honor.”

Reed’s rounded ears wiggled and twitched as if trying to dislodge a pesky insect. “Little Plum has told us that you want to use our land. Tell me your tale.”

Lisa, with Luke’s help, explained as best they could in terms they could understand. They told them of being led to their planet and their task to teach the new generation.

Reed grunted. “In my experience, pups don’t exactly respect the land.” Somewhere behind the group…herd?...there was a squeak and a scuttle of little feet.

“Not my fault!” came a young voice.        

“Hush, child,” said a third, this one an adult. Its parent?

Lisa wondered what the story was there but it wasn’t her place to ask. Instead, she said, “We don’t intend to disrespect the land. We understand we’re guests here. We also understand that the presence of humans can be disruptive to an established ecosystem. Wherever we build the school, the grass will most likely die. We will need food and water once our stores are gone.” She looked to Luke, reaching for his hand. “We will replenish what we take. Plants can be regrown. As long as we don’t take more than the land can replace, the water should remain clean and plentiful.”

Reed’s ears twitched again and he turned to the assembled herd; they spoke in fast-paced chirping and clicking. Lisa could only catch a few words like “trust”, “land”, and “mother”.

What do you think? Luke asked silently.

Hard to tell, she replied, again hearing one of the Riverbacks say the word “mother”. They’re talking too fast for my mind to fully translate.

So they waited while the herd deliberated. Lisa saw a young Riverback pup sneak away from the adults and creep up to her and Luke. Smiling, she knelt down to the little one’s level.

“Hi there,” she said.                                             

The pup squeaked. “Your mate said you’d help us?”

That was a bit of semantic change and one Lisa was used to. In the animal kingdom, “mate” was the closest comparison whenever she mentioned a romantic partner.

She nodded at the pup. “You need help?” she asked, and Luke knelt beside her upon hearing the words.

The pup’s ears twitched and he held out a foot. The splinter wasn’t big, but its position lodged in one of the toes looked uncomfortable.

Luke rubbed his chin to hide an amused grin while Lisa examined the pup’s paw. She hummed, “Hm. I think I can get it out, but it’d be easier if we could lift you. Would it be okay if Luke picked you up?”

The pup looked over to Luke, his ears twitching, then moved closer so he could be lifted.

“My name is Pip. What…what are you going to do?”

“Hi, Pip,” said Lisa as she held the injured paw in her hands, looking closely at the splinter. “I’m going to try to get this splinter out.”

“Will it hurt?”

“For a moment,” she answered, then tsked. “I wish I had tweezers. This thing is small.” She squinted, pushing her glasses up on her nose. “Stay still, Pip, okay?”

The pup squeaked and squeezed his eyes shut. Lisa focused her eyes on the splinter and concentrated. She caught the end of the splinter with her telekinesis and pulled gently.

Pip whimpered and one of the adult Riverbacks chittered worriedly. The rest of the herd had abandoned the deliberation at the pup’s cry.

“What is this?” called Reed suspiciously.

“Pip has a piece of wood in his paw,” Lisa explained, her eyes still focused on the splinter. “He asked us for help. I’m going to get it out or he might get sick from infection.”

The herd grumbled and grunted, but remained still. Lisa used her telekinesis to spin the splinter to ensure it hadn’t gotten stuck inside the wound, then she pulled.

Pip squeaked in pain as the splinter flew out of the paw and dropped to the ground. A small rivulet of blood appeared and Lisa used the hem of her duster to blot it.

“There,” she said. “We should wash that wound so it doesn’t get infected.” She turned to the herd. “May we take Pip to the water?”

The assembled Riverbacks chittered and then moved to the side. They watched Lisa and Luke as they brought little Pip over to the river and waded into the water. Luke held the bleeding paw under the water while Lisa cleaned it.

“Cold…” Pip chittered.

“Almost done,” said Lisa as Luke murmured something soft and reassuring while Pip squirmed. She tugged at her tunic and tore a strip of fabric from the hem, then wrapped it around the paw. “There. That should keep it clean while it heals.”

Pip chirped happily and wiggled in Luke’s arms as he carried the pup to the shore.

“Okay, okay,” Luke chuckled, setting the pup down onto the ground where the little one scampered to the herd and to his mother.

The herd sniffed at Pip’s bandage and regarded the couple. Reed’s eyes narrowed and his ears wiggled and twitched.

“You may stay.”

End chapter five

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